Ask the Experts

Garden City Hospital is here to help. Now you can browse, search and view answers to frequently asked health questions. Have a personal health question you need answered? We can do that too! Simply submit your question and we will get it to the appropriate GCH health expert for an answer.

Ask the Experts is for general information purposes only. It should never be thought of as medical advice or treatment, nor should it be used in place of a thorough medical screening or an exam by a licensed medical professional. Medical advice should be sought from an emergency room, urgent care center, or licensed medical professional. If you need help finding a physician, use our online physician directory to locate a Garden City Hospital Health Expert that’s right for you.

Check the Sunday issue or your local O&E for more answers from the GCH Health Experts.

Note: Questions are selected both randomly and based on relevance or frequency. Not all submitted questions will be answered. Answers will be posted on GCH.org and not supplied directly to the submitter. To maintain personal privacy, we do not require any personal information be given to submit questions.

Q

Who can get multiple sclerosis (MS)?

A

Anyone may develop MS but there are some patterns. More than twice as many women as men have MS. Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, although individuals as young as 2 an... read more

Anyone may develop MS but there are some patterns. More than twice as many women as men have MS. Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, although individuals as young as 2 and as old as 75 have developed it. Studies suggest that genetic factors make certain individuals more susceptible than others, but there is no evidence that MS is directly inherited. MS occurs in most ethnic groups, including African- Americans, Asians and Hispanics/Latinos, but is most common in Caucasians of northern European ancestry.

Q

I was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). Am I going to end up in a wheelchair?

A

The natural course of MS is highly variable, and it is impossible to predict the nature, severity or timing of progression in a given patient. Some people with MS will have a more progressive... read more

The natural course of MS is highly variable, and it is impossible to predict the nature, severity or timing of progression in a given patient. Some people with MS will have a more progressive disease course than others. In some cases, the course of MS over the first five years may provide a clue to the progression of the disease over the next 10 years. Recent studies indicate that 90% of patients with minimal disability five years after onset were still ambulatory at 15 years. It is estimated that at 20 years after diagnosis, about 1/3 of people who receive no treatment may require a wheelchair or other assistive device. With the present available therapies, the goal is to slow the progression of disability. Some people with MS respond quite well and may have no progression over years. For others, the treatment may slow, and not stop the progression. It is important to be proactive and work with your physicians, get in shape, eat a healthy diet and take the best possible care of yourself.

Q

Is multiple sclerosis (MS) contagious or fatal?

A

MS is neither contagious nor fatal. People with MS have a life expectancy that is not really any different from the general population. Only a small percentage of patients experience a rapidl... read more

MS is neither contagious nor fatal. People with MS have a life expectancy that is not really any different from the general population. Only a small percentage of patients experience a rapidly progressive type of MS, which may cause more significant health issues early in the disease. MS tends to affect quality of life, not quantity of life. There are unusual variants of MS that can be very aggressive and potentially shorten life, but these are not the norm.

Q

What type of doctor specializes in multiple sclerosis (MS) and how is it diagnosed?

A

Your primary care physician may be able to diagnose MS by eliminating other conditions. However, since MS is a neurological condition, it is usually diagnosed and treated by a neurologist, of... read more

Your primary care physician may be able to diagnose MS by eliminating other conditions. However, since MS is a neurological condition, it is usually diagnosed and treated by a neurologist, often in conjunction with another area of medicine - such as radiology, ophthalmology, and psychology. Because the symptoms of early MS can come and go, and a single test is not yet available to identify MS, getting a diagnosis can often be difficult. Several appointments and tests may be necessary.